We are privileged to share our alma mater with esteemed professionals like Prof Prem Krishna. He is a BE ’59 Civil Engineering graduate of University of Roorkee. Credited with many firsts in his field, Prof Krishan was awarded the Distinguished Alumni award in 2012. (Read full bio after his message..)

He is the Global President of our alumni association and we thank him for taking the time for this message to our alumni family in North America.

A Message from President, IIT Roorkee Alumni Association
Addressed to the IITRAA North America

Dear Alumni Friends,

A new Executive Committee of the IITRAA for the year 2014-15 started its tenure recently. I am thankful to have been asked to write this message, and through it, to have the pleasure of sending you my greetings , and to share some of my thoughts and information.

Although we are well aware of our great alma mater, it is just as well to be reminded that the IITRAA consists of alumni of an Institution of Technical education, with the richest heritage (167 years) in India, and even universally. I believe that the education and training we received at the portals of this institution and the traditions of discipline, commitment, diligence, humanism and civility to which we were exposed, followed by our continued interaction directly or indirectly, helped to built the foundation, over which we stand so strongly today, and progress in different stages of our careers.

In the early 1960’s, a few of our alumni took the courage to leave the comfort zone of their homes and families to go ‘Global’, particularly preferring the USA. The number of alumni there built up gradually, and today it constitutes a substantial presence amongst the engineering fraternity of that country. It need not be stated how effectively the name and reputation of the alma mater and the country has been upheld by our alumni in North America.

I am sure the IITRAA has tremendous potential. We can set our goals , in a spirit of service for the betterment of our alma mater and the profession, consistent with our potential, but our efforts will have a better chance of yielding the desired results only, if these are chosen prudently, and are not too many at a time. Furthermore. we will need to work together ,wherever we may be ,and, in tandem with our alma mater, which indeed is our fountainhead.

In the first couple of months of the tenure of this EC, effort has been to enhance connectivity. The IITRAA website ,www.iitraa.in ,is being earnestly updated. Effort is also being made to resume a 3-monthly e-News Letter. As in previous years, the major event in the coming months is the celebration of the Silver, Ruby(being formally re-started this year for batches with 40 years of graduation),Golden and Diamond Jubilees .

I seek your support to make our association more vibrant and effective, while working through the system, and will welcome advice and suggestions through our mailing address iitraa@gmail.com .

In an engineering career commencing in 1959, and, spanning approximately 55 years to date, he has had a unique opportunity of studying and teaching at Civil Engineering Departments of the highest quality and reputation, our alma mater, the University of Roorkee (Now Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee), the University of Illinois, Urbana, USA, and the Imperial College of London, UK. In addition to being a committed teacher, he has been keenly active in R&D and maintained close interaction with industry in the areas of structural engineering , wind engineering & disaster mitigation.

Born March 1938, he obtained his early degrees from the University of Roorkee - BE(Civil) in 1959, ME(Structures) in 1961. He obtained his Doctorate from Imperial College, London in 1964.

He joined the faculty in Civil Engineering at the University of Roorkee in 1965 and retired from there in 1998. He however maintained contact with the institution in adjunct positions till 2007.

At Roorkee, he held positions of Head of Civil Engineering Department and the Dean.

He is also the son of another celebrated alumni, Prof Jai Krishna, who was the Vice Chancellor from 1971 to 1977.

Important Professional Memberships/Positions Fellow and Vice – President (2008), Indian National Academy of Engineering
Founder President, Indian Society of Wind Engineering (1993-2000)
President, International Association for Wind Engineering (1991-95)
2010 - Chairman, Research Council, CBRI, Roorkee

Pioneering Work Always keen to look for new vistas, Prof.Prem Krishna can be credited with many “firsts”:
First book on Cable Suspended Roofs – McGraw-Hill, New York, 1978
Design of the first cable stayed foot bridge in India, over the canal at Roorkee, 1982
Design of the first cable stayed road bridge in India, over the canal at Haridwar, 1988
First Major Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel in India at University of Roorkee, 1982
Help in designing Large (45m dia.) Radio Wave Antenna Dishes for setting up an Array at Khodad (near Pune), replacing for the first time anywhere, ‘bluff’ tubes by cables, to reduce wind loads and reducing cost by over 10%.
First and only Indian (so far) to become President, of the International Association of Wind Engineering, 1991

Awards / Honours
Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2012, IIT Roorkee.
Commemorative Volume released in honor, at the National Conference on Wind Engineering, Nagpur, February 2004.
Outstanding Engineer Award by the IIT Roorkee – Institution of Engineers Roorkee Centre, Engineer’s Day, Sept. 2004.
Arthur Cotton Memorial Gold Medal, Institution of Engineers (India), 1986.
Jai Krishna Award of the Indian Society of Earthquake Technology for the best Society publication during the period 1974-1978.